A medical cannula is a tube-like device that can be inserted into the body of a patient, often for the delivery of fluid into the patient or the removal of fluid from the patient. As an example, a user can attach one end of a medical cannula to a vessel containing a therapeutic substance (e.g., a container of an insulin solution), and insert the opposite end of the medical cannula into a patient's body (e.g., by pressing a tip of the cannula against the patient's body until it pierces the patient's skin). This creates a fluid pathway between the vessel and the interior of the patient's body, and facilitates administration of the therapeutic substance.
During use, a medical cannula may be bent or “kinked.” For example, when the tip of the medical cannula is pressed against the patient's body, the tip may be deflected by the patient's body (e.g., the patient's skin or structures under the patient's skin). As a result, the medical cannula may be bent, resulting in the crimping and obstruction of the cannula's inner channel. This can interfere with the flow of fluid into or out of the patient, and can negatively impact the patient's treatment.
In some cases, it is difficult for a user to visually ascertain whether a medical cannula is bent or kinked. For example, the tip of the medical cannula may be obscured when it is pressed against the user's body (e.g., by other structures of the medical cannula, objects attached the medical cannula, the patient's body, and so forth). Thus, in some cases, a user may have difficulty determining whether therapeutic substances are being properly administered to a patient.